System and method for creating a test sample from individual seeds or tissue structures

ABSTRACT

The present invention is generally directed to a system and method for obtaining a test sample from a seed or seeds. The method generally includes placing at least one seed into a seed sampling chamber, breaking the seed into a plurality of seed particles inside the seed sampling chamber, placing a sampling element into the seed sampling chamber, and collecting at least a portion of the plurality of seed particles with the sampling element by attracting at least a portion of the seed particles to a surface of the sampling element or by forcing at least a portion of the seed particles into a feature of the sampling element. In some embodiments, the method further includes using a sampling element transfer device to transfer the sampling element to an extraction well, which may be used to extract DNA or proteins from the collected portion of seed particles.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a divisional application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/880,489, filed Sep. 13, 2010, which claimspriority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/242,181, filed Sep.14, 2009, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference inits entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods forobtaining samples of seeds. More specifically, the present inventionprovides a system and method for obtaining tissue samples from one ormore individual seeds for use in further DNA or protein extractionanalysis.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is conventional practice in plant breeding or plant advancementexperiments to grow plants from seeds of known parentage. The seeds areplanted in experimental plots, growth chambers, greenhouses, or othergrowing conditions in which they are either cross pollinated with otherplants of known parentage or self pollinated. The resulting seeds arethe offspring of the two parent plants or the self pollinated plant, andare harvested, processed and planted to continue the plant breedingcycle. Specific laboratory or field-based tests may be performed on theplants, plant tissues, seed or seed tissues, in order to aid in thebreeding or advancement selection process.

Generations of plants based on known crosses or self pollinations areplanted and then tested, such as through trait purity tests, to see ifthese lines or varieties are moving toward characteristics that aredesirable in the marketplace. Examples of desirable traits include, butare not limited to, increased yield, increased homozygosity, improved ornewly conferred resistance and/or tolerance to specific herbicidesand/or pests and pathogens, increased oil content, altered starchcontent, nutraceutical composition, drought tolerance, and specificmorphological based trait enhancements.

Often, seeds having desirable characteristics are produced commerciallyfor sale in the marketplace. In such instances, quality control tests,such as genetic purity tests, may be conducted to determine that theseeds indeed comprise the advertised genetic composition. In manyinstances, a certain number of seeds may be sampled from each bag ofseeds produced. For example, it is not uncommon to test approximatelyone hundred seeds from each production bag in order to verify thegenetic composition of the seeds from the bag. For some seed types, suchas those in large production, this can translate to over one millionindividual seeds to be sampled.

In order to test the genetic composition of the seeds, samples of theindividual seeds themselves, or of the plants that develop from theseeds, are gathered. For example, in one method, a hole is drilled in asmall location on the seed and the debris from the seed is removed. Thedebris is then transferred to a test tube or other container andanalyzed. Another method is described in V. Sangtong, E. C. Mottel, M.J. Long, M. Lee, and M. P. Scott, Serial Extraction of EndospermDrillings (SEED)—A Method for Detecting Transgenes and Proteins inSingle Viable Maize Kernels, Plant Molecular Biology Reporter 19:151-158, June 2001, in which a hand-held rotary grinder is used to grindoff so-called “drillings” from each kernel.

Automated seed grinding techniques also exist to generate seed samples.For example, in one method a blade grinder (or cutting mill) may be usedto grind one or more seeds into a group of seed particles. In general, atypical blade grinder includes a chamber into which the one or moreseeds may be placed, and one or more blades that are configured torotate within the chamber such that they act upon the seed(s) so as toreduce the seed(s) into a group of seed particles. In another method, ashaker grinder (or ball mill) may be used to crush one or more seedsinto a group of seed particles. In general, a typical shaker grinderincludes a chamber into which the one or more seeds may be placed, andone or more “balls” that are placed into the chamber along with theseed(s). The chamber is then vibrated in such a manner that the grindingballs act upon the seed(s) to reduce the seed(s) into the group of seedparticles.

For each of these methods, the seed samples are transferred by hand to atesting apparatus where the tissue samples from the seed(s) are analyzedfor DNA or protein composition. Many procedures exist whereby variousproteins or cell DNA may be extracted from the samples. For example, atypical method may include placing a seed sample into an extraction welland subjecting the seed sample cells to a cell lysis solution such thatthe cell walls are broken down to release the DNA and proteins into theresulting solution. A buffer may then be added that is formulated toseparate the DNA from the proteins. At this point either the DNA or theprotein may be extracted for further testing.

The above methods of obtaining seed samples from the seed chambers andtransferring the samples to the testing apparatuses are extremely timeconsuming and involve numerous manual processes. In addition, it isdifficult to obtain seed samples having repeatable sample sizes. As aresult, there is a need for an improved system and method for obtainingtissue samples from one or more seeds. In various embodiments, thesystem and method should provide an efficient manner of gathering seedsamples for further processing, such as DNA and protein purification andextraction, and it should also provide normalized seed sample sizes.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

The present invention addresses the above needs and achieves otheradvantages by providing a system and method of obtaining a sample fromone or more seeds. In general, the method comprises placing at least oneseed into a seed sampling chamber, breaking the seed into a plurality ofseed particles inside the seed sampling chamber, placing a samplingelement into the seed sampling chamber, and collecting at least aportion of the plurality of seed particles with the sampling element,wherein the collecting occurs by attracting at least a portion of theseed particles to a surface of the sampling element. In someembodiments, attracting at least a portion of the seed particles to asurface of the sampling element may occur through magnetic attraction.In some embodiments, attracting at least a portion of the seed particlesto a surface of the sampling element may occur through staticattraction. In some embodiments, attracting at least a portion of theseed particles to a surface of the sampling element may occur throughmechanical attraction. In some embodiments, the mechanical attractionmay be created by a surface finish of the sampling element. In someembodiments, the mechanical attraction may be created by a surfacetreatment of the sampling element. In some embodiments, the surfacetreatment may include applying a wax material to the surface of thesampling element.

In some embodiments, collecting at least a portion of the plurality ofseed particles may comprise forcing at least a portion of the seedparticles into a feature of the sampling element. In some embodiments,collecting at least a portion of the plurality of seed particles maycomprise forcing at least a portion of the seed particles into a cavityof the sampling element. In some embodiments, collecting at least aportion of the plurality of seed particles may comprise forcing at leasta portion of the seed particles into one or more passages extendingthrough the sampling element. In some embodiments, collecting at least aportion of the plurality of seed particles may comprise forcing at leasta portion of the seed particles into one or more grooves of the samplingelement. In some embodiments, placing a sampling element into the seedsampling chamber may comprise placing into the seed sampling chamber asampling element having a shape selected from the group consisting ofball-shaped, oval-shaped, and anvil-shaped. In some embodiments, thestep of placing the sampling element into the seed sampling chamber mayoccur before the step of breaking the seed into a plurality of seedparticles. In some embodiments, the step of placing the sampling elementinto the seed sampling chamber may occur after the step of breaking theseed into a plurality of seed particles. In some embodiments, the stepof breaking the seed into a plurality of seed particles may compriseshaking the seed sampling chamber such that the sampling element breaksthe seed into the plurality of seed particles.

Some embodiments may further comprise removing the sampling elementcontaining the collected portion of seed particles from the seedsampling chamber, releasing the sampling element into an extractionwell, and extracting at least one of DNA or proteins from the collectedportion of seed particles. In some embodiments, the sampling element maybe removed from the seed sampling chamber using a sampling elementtransfer device. In some embodiments, the sampling element may includemagnetically responsive content and the sampling element transfer devicemay include a removal rod and a deflector plate, and the samplingelement may be removed from the seed sampling chamber using a magnetlocated proximate an end of the removal rod, and the sampling elementmay be released into the extraction well by deflecting the samplingelement from the removal rod using the deflector plate. In someembodiments, the sampling element may include magnetically responsivecontent and the sampling element transfer device may include anelectromagnet operating under an electric current, and the samplingelement may be removed from the seed sampling chamber using theelectromagnet, and the sampling element may be released into theextraction well by removing the electric current from the electromagnet.

Another embodiment of the present invention provides a system forobtaining a sample from a seed. In general, the system comprises a seedsampling device that includes a seed sampling chamber configured toreceive at least one seed, and a sampling element configured to beplaced into the seed sampling chamber, wherein the seed sampling deviceis configured to break the seed into a plurality of seed particlesinside the seed sampling chamber, and wherein the sampling element isfurther configured to collect at least a portion of the plurality ofseed particles by attracting at least a portion of the seed particles toa surface of the sampling element. In some embodiments, the samplingelement may be configured to collect at least a portion of the pluralityof seed particles by attracting seed particles to a surface of thesampling element through magnetic attraction. In some embodiments, thesampling element may be configured to collect at least a portion of theplurality of seed particles by attracting seed particles to a surface ofthe sampling element through static attraction. In some embodiments, thesampling element may be configured to collect at least a portion of theplurality of seed particles by attracting seed particles to a surface ofthe sampling element through mechanical attraction. In some embodiments,the sampling element may include a surface finish configured to createthe mechanical attraction. In some embodiments, the sampling element mayinclude a surface treatment configured to create the mechanicalattraction. In some embodiments, the surface treatment may be a waxmaterial.

In some embodiments, the sampling element may be configured to collectat least a portion of the plurality of seed particles by receiving atleast a portion of the seed particles into a feature of the samplingelement. In some embodiments, the sampling element may be configured tocollect at least a portion of the plurality of seed particles byreceiving at least a portion of the seed particles into a cavity of thesampling element. In some embodiments, the sampling element may beconfigured to receive at least a portion of the seed particles into oneor more passages extending through the sampling element.

In some embodiments, the sampling element may be configured to collectat least a portion of the plurality of seed particles by receiving atleast a portion of the seed particles into one or more grooves of thesampling element. In some embodiments, the sampling element may have ashape selected from the group consisting of ball-shaped, oval-shaped,and anvil-shaped. In some embodiments, the seed sampling device may beconfigured to shake the seed sampling chamber and the sampling elementmay be configured to break the seed into the plurality of seedparticles.

Some embodiments further comprise an extraction well configured forreceiving the sampling element and for receiving a solution configuredto extract at least one of DNA or proteins from the collected portion ofseed particles. Some embodiments further comprise a sampling elementtransfer device configured to remove the sampling element from the seedsampling chamber. In some embodiments, the sampling element may includemagnetically responsive content and the sampling element transfer devicemay include a removal rod and a deflector plate, and the removal rod maybe configured to remove the sampling element from the seed samplingchamber using a magnet located proximate an end of the removal rod, andthe deflector plate may be configured to release the sampling elementinto the extraction well by deflecting the sampling element from theremoval rod. In some embodiments, the sampling element may includemagnetically responsive content and the sampling element transfer devicemay include an electromagnet, and the electromagnet may be configured toremove the sampling element from the seed sampling chamber by operatingunder an electric current, and the electromagnet may be configured torelease the sampling element into the extraction well by removing theelectric current from the electromagnet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will nowbe made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn toscale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a flow chart of a method, according to one embodiment ofthe present invention, including steps for placing at least one seedinto a seed sampling chamber, placing a sampling element into the seedsampling chamber, breaking the seed into a plurality of seed particles,and attracting at least a portion of the seed particles to a surface ofthe sampling element;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of seeds being placing into a seedsampling chamber of a seed sampling device in accordance with anexemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2A shows a perspective view of a sampling element being placed intothe seed sampling chamber of the seed sampling device of FIG. 2 inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an outer surface of a samplingelement in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of an outer surface of a samplingelement that has attracted a plurality of seed particles in accordancewith an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a seed sampling device and a detailedperspective view of the seed sampling chamber of the seed samplingdevice configured to execute a method of obtaining a seed sample inaccordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a top view of a sampling element having a collectionfeature in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5A shows a cross-section view of the sampling element of FIG. 5;

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of sampling elements in accordance withother embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a seed sampling device configured toexecute a method of obtaining a seed sample in accordance with anotherexemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a sampling element transfer device inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8A shows an exploded perspective view of the sampling elementtransfer device of FIG. 8;

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view from a different angle of a bottom plateand a deflector plate of a sampling element transfer device inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 shows a seed particle collector having a plurality of extractionwells in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not allembodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, this invention may beembodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limitedto the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments areprovided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legalrequirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

As will be described below, the present invention is generally directedto a system and method for obtaining a sample from a seed or seeds. FIG.1 shows a general flowchart illustrating a method 100 for obtaining asample from a seed in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention. In step 102, at least one seed is placed into asampling chamber. It should be noted that in some embodiments a singleseed may be placed in the sampling chamber, while in other embodimentstwo or more seeds may be placed in the sampling chamber. In step 104,the seed is broken into a plurality of seed particles inside the seedsampling chamber. As will be discussed in more detail below, someembodiments may use a single seed sampling chamber, while otherembodiments may use two or more seed sampling chambers. Additionally, insome embodiments this step may comprise, for example, breaking the seedinto a plurality of seed particles using blades of a blade grinder-typeseed sampling device, or breaking the seed or seeds into a plurality ofseed particles using a shaker-type seed sampling device. In someembodiments utilizing a shaker-type seed sampling device, the seedsampling element itself breaks the seed into the plurality of seedparticles.

In step 106, a sampling element is placed into the seed samplingchamber. In various embodiments, this step may occur prior to, after, orat the same time that the seeds are broken into a plurality of seedparticles. In step 108, at least a portion of the plurality of seedparticles is collected with the sampling element. In variousembodiments, this may occur by attracting at least a portion of the seedparticles to a surface of the sampling element through magneticattraction, static attraction, mechanical attraction, or anycombinations thereof. In some embodiments, this may occur by forcing atleast a portion of the seed particles into a feature of the samplingelement. In some embodiments, the method may further include using asampling element transfer device to transfer the sampling element to anextraction well, which may be used to extract DNA or proteins from thecollected portion of seed particles.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a seed sampling device 200 configuredto carry out a method of obtaining a sample from a seed in accordancewith an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In general, theseed sampling device 200 of the depicted embodiment comprises a seedsampling chamber 202 and a main body 204. In the depicted embodiment,the seed sampling device 200 is configured as a blade grinder (orcutting mill), which includes one or more blades 206 that rotate withinthe seed sampling chamber 202. In the depicted embodiment, the main body204 of the seed sampling device 200 houses various devices and/ormechanisms that generate and control the action of the blade(s) 206. Theseed sampling device 200 of the depicted embodiment is configured torotate the blade(s) 206 so as to grind one or more seeds 201 into agroup of seed particles 210, from which a sample comprising at least aportion of the seed particles may be taken. Although a variety ofdevices may be used, a suitable seed sampling device for use withsimilar embodiments may be a Grindomix GM200 available from Retsch GmbHof Haan, Germany. In other embodiments, various other devices may beused to break the seeds into a plurality of seed particles, including,but not limited to jaw crushers, rotor mills, mortar grinders, discmills, and ball mills.

FIG. 2A shows a perspective view of the seed sampling device 200 of FIG.1 showing the group of seed particles 210 that was generated aftergrinding the plurality of seeds 201 shown in FIG. 2. Also shown in FIG.2A is a sampling element 212 that, in the depicted embodiment, is placedinto the seed sampling chamber 202 after the seeds 201 have been groundinto the group of seed particles 210. As will be discussed below, invarious embodiments the sampling element may be placed into the samplingchamber before, after, or at the same time the seed(s) are broken into agroup of seed particles. In some embodiments, the sampling element mayfacilitate breaking the seed(s) into the group of seed particles. In thedepicted embodiment, the sampling element 212 is a 5/32 inch diametersteel ball bearing having a substantially spherical shape, however inother embodiments the sampling element may have a variety of shapes andsizes (for a non-limiting group of examples, see FIGS. 5-6), and may bemade of a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, variousmetal and plastic materials, and combinations thereof. Sampling elementsof various embodiments may also include magnetically responsive content,including, but not limited to, ferrous materials and materials thatinclude ferrous content. It should be noted that in the depictedembodiment, the seed sampling device 200 grinds a plurality of seeds 201to generate the group of seed particles 210, however, in otherembodiments, the seed sampling device 200 may be used to grind anynumber of seeds, including as few as a single seed, to generate a groupof seed particles. It should also be noted that although some of thefigures referred to herein depict seeds in the form of corn seeds, thesystems and methods of the present invention are applicable to any othertype of seed and to any other element comprising a tissue structure fromwhich samples may be taken, including, but not limited to, vegetableseeds, flower seeds, rapeseeds, rice seeds, wheat seeds, canola seeds,soybean seeds, sunflower seeds, sorghum seeds, etc.

In various embodiments, a portion of the seed particles 210 arecollected with the sampling element 212 by attracting at least a portionof the seed particles 210 to a surface of the sampling element 212. Inthe depicted embodiment, the sampling element 212 includes a surfacetreatment comprising applying a wax material to the surface of thesampling element 212 such that at least a portion of the seed particlesare attracted to the sampling element 212 through mechanical attraction.However, in various other embodiments, at least a portion of the seedparticles 210 may be collected by the sampling element 212 through anymeans of attraction of the seed particles, including, but not limitedto, magnetic attraction, static attraction, mechanical attraction, orany combinations thereof. In some embodiments attraction of the seedparticles may be effected without any surface treatment or finish ofsampling element, while in other embodiments, various surfacetreatments, finishes, and/or features of the sampling element mayfacilitate attraction of seed particles. For example, the samplingelement of some embodiments may include a rough surface finish, a tackysurface treatment, or a static or magnetic charge that facilitatesattraction of at least a portion of the seed particles.

FIG. 3 shows a close-up view of the sampling element 212 of oneembodiment prior to being placed into a sampling chamber. FIG. 3A showsthe sampling element 212 of one embodiment after attracting at least aportion of the seed particles 210 to the surface of the sampling element212. In various embodiments, collecting at least a portion of theplurality of seed particles according to the methods described hereinmay also provide for collecting and transferring normalized seed samplesizes. For example, in the depicted embodiment, the seed sample size maybe normalized due to the finite nature of the surface area of thesampling element. Thus, predictable seed sample sizes may be gathered byusing sampling elements having collecting surfaces with known surfaceareas. In such a manner, for example, by using the same sampling elementor by using various sampling elements having substantially similardesigns or by using various sampling elements having substantiallysimilar collecting surface area sizes, various seed samples may becollected that have substantially similar seed sample sizes.

In some embodiments, after collecting at least a portion of the seedparticles 210, the method of obtaining a sample from a seed inaccordance with the present invention may further comprise removing thesampling element 212 from the sampling chamber and releasing thesampling element into an extraction well. Once in the extraction well,the procedure may comprise extracting DNA and/or proteins from thecollected portion of seed particles. In various embodiments the DNAand/or proteins may be extracted through various procedures. Forexample, in one exemplary procedure a cell lysis solution may be addedto the seed particles that breaks down seed particles and separates theDNA and proteins. Next, through centrifuge, decanting, or otherwise, theDNA may be separated from the proteins. As will be discussed in moredetail below, in some embodiments the sampling element 212 may beremoved from the sampling chamber and transferred to the extraction wellusing a sampling element transfer device.

As noted above, in some embodiments the sampling element that collectsat least a portion of the plurality of seed particles may be placed intothe seed sampling chamber after the seed or seeds have been broken intoa plurality of seed particles, and in other embodiments the samplingelement that collects at least a portion of the plurality of seedparticles may be placed into the seed sampling chamber prior to the seedor seeds being broken into a plurality of seed particles. In still otherembodiments, the sampling element may break the seed or seeds into theplurality of seed particles and collect at least a portion of theplurality of seed particles. An example of such an embodiment isdepicted in FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a seed sampling device 200 configuredto execute a method of obtaining a seed sample in accordance withanother exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In general, theseed sampling device 200 of the depicted embodiment comprises a seedsampling chamber 202 and a main body 204. In the depicted embodiment,the seed sampling device is configured as a shaker-type seed samplingdevice, which includes a shaking device 205 configured to shake the seedsampling chamber 202. The main body 204 of the seed sampling device 200of the depicted embodiment houses various devices and/or mechanisms thatgenerate and control the action of the shaking device 205.

In various embodiments, a shaker-type seed sampling device is configuredto shake a seed sampling chamber containing one or more seeds. In someembodiments, the seed or seeds may be alone in the seed samplingchamber, however in other embodiments the seed sampling chamber mayinclude an additional article configured to break the seed or seeds intoa plurality of seed particles. In the depicted embodiment, the seedsampling chamber 202 includes a single seed 201 and a single samplingelement 212. Although the configuration of a sampling element may bedifferent in various embodiments, in the depicted embodiment thesampling element 212 comprises a substantially spherical steel ballbearing. In the depicted embodiment, the seed sampling device 200 isconfigured to shake the seed sampling chamber 202. The seed samplingelement 212 of the depicted embodiment is configured to both break theseed 201 into the plurality of seed particles and to collect at least aportion of the resulting plurality of seed particles. It should be notedthat although the depicted embodiment shows a single seed and a singlesampling element, other embodiments may have two or more seeds and/ortwo or more sampling elements. Such embodiments may also includesampling elements that have different configurations. Other embodimentsmay have one or more sampling elements in addition to one or more otherarticles configured to break the seed or seeds into a plurality of seedparticles.

In various embodiments, a portion of the seed particles are collectedwith the sampling element 212 by attracting at least a portion of theseed particles to a surface of the sampling element 212. In the depictedembodiment, the sampling element 212 includes a surface finish such thatat least a portion of the seed particles are mechanically collected onthe sampling element 212. However, in various embodiments, at least aportion of the seed particles may be collected by the sampling element212 through any means of attraction of the seed particles, including,but not limited to, magnetic attraction, static attraction, mechanicalattraction, or any combinations thereof. In some embodiments attractionof the seed particles may be effected without any surface finish ortreatment of sampling element, while in other embodiments, varioussurface treatments, finishes, and/or features of the sampling elementmay facilitate attraction of seed particles.

Other embodiments of the sampling element may include one or morecollection features that facilitate attraction of at least a portion ofthe seed particles. Such collection features may include, but need notbe limited to, one or more cavities, one or more grooves, and/or one ormore passageways configured to collect at least a portion of the seedparticles. FIGS. 5 and 5A show a top view and a cross-section view,respectively, of a sampling element 212 having a collection feature 213in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention. In the depicted embodiment, the sampling element 212 is asubstantially spherical steel ball bearing having a collection feature213 that comprises a passageway that extends through the samplingelement 212. In those embodiments where the sampling element comprises acollection feature, at least a portion of the plurality of seedparticles may be forced into the collection feature. Thus, in thedepicted embodiment, at least a portion of the plurality of seedparticles may be forced into the passageway. Such embodiments depictanother way in which normalized seed sample sizes may be collected bythe sampling element 212.

Although the sampling elements described and depicted thus far have beensubstantially spherical in shape and have been made of a steel material,sampling elements of various other embodiments may have a variety ofdifferent shapes and may be made of variety of materials. For example,FIG. 6 shows a front view of various sampling elements having otherexemplary shapes in accordance with other embodiments of the presentinvention. Sampling element 212A is substantially anvil-shaped, samplingelement 212B is substantially pin-shaped, sampling element 212C issubstantially ballcone shaped, and sampling element 212D issubstantially oval-shaped. It should be noted that FIG. 6 represents asmall sample of possible sampling element shapes, thus, the shape of asampling element should not be limited to those presented in thefigures. Likewise, although the sampling elements described thus farhave been constructed of a steel material, sampling elements of variousother embodiments may be constructed of other materials or a combinationof other materials. For example, sampling elements other embodiments maybe constructed of other metal materials, plastic materials, compositematerials, organic materials, and/or combinations thereof.

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a seed sampling device 200 configuredto execute a method of obtaining a seed sample in accordance withanother exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In general, theseed sampling device 200 of the depicted embodiment comprises a mainbody 204 and a container 211 that includes a plurality of seed samplingchambers 202. The seed sampling device 200 of the depicted embodiment isconfigured as a ball mill or shaker-type seed sampling device, whichincludes a shaking device 205 configured to shake the plurality of seedsampling chambers 202. Although a variety of devices may be used, asuitable seed sampling device for use with similar embodiments may be aGeno/Grinder 2000 available from SPEX CertiPrep, Inc. of Metuchen, N.J.The main body 204 of the seed sampling device 200 of the depictedembodiment houses various devices and/or mechanisms that generate andcontrol the action of the shaking device 205. Although a variety ofconfigurations are possible, in the depicted embodiment the container211 houses 96 seed sampling chambers arranged in an 8×12 array.

Although in various embodiments any number of seeds or sampling elementsmay be used, in the depicted embodiment, each of the plurality of seedsampling chambers 202 includes one seed (not visible in this figure) anda sampling element (also not visible in this figure). In the depictedembodiment, each sampling element breaks a respective seed intorespective pluralities of seed particles and collects at least a portionof the respective seed particles. The sampling element of the depictedembodiment also comprises magnetically responsive content. In variousembodiments, the plurality of sampling chambers 202 may include the sametypes of seeds, different types of seeds, or combinations thereof.Additionally, in other embodiments other components may be used to breakthe seeds into the respective pluralities of seed particles such thatthe sampling elements may be introduced into the sampling chambers afterthe seeds have been broken.

FIGS. 8 and 8A show a sampling element transfer device 300 in accordancewith an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The samplingelement transfer device 300 of the depicted embodiment is configured tobe used to transfer respective sampling elements 212 from seed samplingchambers 202 into a plurality of respective extraction wells so as toextract DNA or proteins from the collected portions of seed particles.The sampling element transfer device 300 of the depicted embodimentcomprises a plurality of removal rods 302, each with a respective magnetcomponent 304 located proximate a lower end thereof. Although a varietyof configurations are possible, in the depicted embodiment there areninety-six (96) removal rods fixedly arranged within a top-plate 306 sothat the removal rods form an eight by twelve (8×12) array. The samplingelement transfer device 300 also includes a bottom plate 308 and adeflector plate 310. In the depicted embodiment, the bottom plate 308includes a plurality of apertures 312 also arranged in an eight bytwelve (8×12) array and configured to receive the plurality of removalrods 302. The deflector plate 310 is configured to be received into aslot 314 of the bottom plate 308 and includes a plurality of apertures316 arranged in an 8×12 array and configured to align with the pluralityof apertures 312 of the bottom plate 308. The plurality of apertures 316of the deflector plate 310 is also configured to receive the pluralityof removal rods 302. FIG. 9 shows the underside of the bottom plate 308and the deflector plate 310. Although many other configurations arepossible, the bottom side of the deflector plate apertures 316 arecountersunk so that various sizes and shapes of sampling elements may beaccommodated by the apertures 316 but not pass through the apertures316.

Referring back to FIGS. 8 and 8A, in an assembled state, the top plate306 is joined to the bottom plate 308 via four attachment rods 318 suchthat the plurality of removal rods 302 extend through the plurality ofapertures 312 of the bottom plate 308 and the plurality of apertures 316of the deflector plate 310 as shown in FIG. 8. The top plate 306, whichalso includes four guide holes 320, is configured to guide the pluralityof removal rods 302 through the apertures 312 of the bottom plate 308and the apertures 316 of the deflector plate 310 by traveling along theattachment rods 318. Each of the attachment rods 318 receives around ita spring 322 such that the springs 322 resist the movement of the topplate 306 toward the bottom plate 308 and thus the plurality of removalrods 302 through the plurality of apertures 312, 316.

In various embodiments, a sampling element transfer device may be usedafter a seed or seeds have been broken into a plurality of seedparticles. The plurality of removal rods 302 of the sampling elementtransfer device 300 of the depicted embodiment is arranged in an arrayto be used with a plurality of seed sampling chambers having a similararray configuration (such as, for example, the plurality of seedsampling chambers 202 of FIG. 7). In such a manner, each removal rod 302aligns with a respective seed sampling chamber 202 such that thesampling element transfer device 300 may be placed over the plurality ofseed sampling chambers and the top plate 306 of the sampling elementtransfer device 300 may be compressed toward the bottom plate 308 sothat the removal rods 302 extend through the apertures 316 of thedeflector plate 310 and into the plurality of seed sampling chambers. Assuch, because the sampling elements of the depicted embodiment includemagnetically responsive content, the magnetic components 304 located oneach of the removal rods 302 may pick up the sampling elements containedin each of the seed sampling chambers. The sampling element transferdevice 300 may then be placed above a plurality of extraction wellsarranged in a similar configuration, and the sampling elements may bereleased into respective extraction wells.

Although the sampling element transfer device of the depicted embodimentis configured to transfer a plurality of sampling elements out of aplurality of seed sampling chambers having a particular arrangement, inother embodiments sampling element transfer devices may be configured totransfer sampling elements out of seed sampling chambers having otherconfigurations. Additionally, a sampling element transfer device may beconfigured to transfer a single sampling element. Also, although thedepicted embodiment uses permanent magnets, in other embodiments asampling element transfer device may include an electromagnet.

FIG. 10 shows a seed particle collector 400 that includes a plurality ofextraction wells 402. Although a variety of configurations are possible,the seed particle collector 400 of the depicted embodiment includesninety-six (96) extraction wells 402 arranged in an eight by twelve(8×12) array. In such a manner, the sampling elements picked up by theplurality of removal rods 302 of the sampling element transfer device300 may be aligned with the plurality of extraction wells 402, and thetop plate 306, which had been compressed toward the bottom plate 308,may then be released such that the plurality of removal rods 302 retractthrough the apertures 316. In such a manner, the plurality of samplingelements are deflected by deflector plate apertures 316 and intorespective ones of the plurality of extraction wells 402. Furtherprocessing may then be undertaken on the seed particles collected byeach of the plurality of sampling elements. Such further processing mayinclude separating DNA and/or proteins from the seed particles asdescribed above. This may be accomplished in one embodiment, forexample, by adding a cell lysis solution to the extraction wells thatbreaks down seed particles and separates the DNA and proteins, and then,through centrifuge, decanting, or otherwise, separating the DNA from theproteins.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come tomind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains havingthe benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions andthe associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that theinvention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed andthat modifications and other embodiments are intended to be includedwithin the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms areemployed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense onlyand not for purposes of limitation.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for obtaining a sample from a seed, saidsystem comprising: a seed sampling device that includes a seed samplingchamber configured to receive at least one seed; and a sampling elementconfigured to be placed into the seed sampling chamber, wherein the seedsampling device is configured to break the seed into a plurality of seedparticles inside the seed sampling chamber, and wherein the samplingelement is further configured to collect at least a portion of theplurality of seed particles by attracting at least a portion of the seedparticles to a surface of the sampling element.
 2. The system of claim1, wherein the sampling element is configured to collect at least aportion of the plurality of seed particles by attracting seed particlesto a surface of the sampling element through magnetic attraction.
 3. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the sampling element is configured to collectat least a portion of the plurality of seed particles by attracting seedparticles to a surface of the sampling element through staticattraction.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sampling element isconfigured to collect at least a portion of the plurality of seedparticles by attracting seed particles to a surface of the samplingelement through mechanical attraction.
 5. The system of claim 4, whereinthe sampling element includes a surface finish configured to create themechanical attraction.
 6. The system of claim 4, wherein the samplingelement includes a surface treatment configured to create the mechanicalattraction.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the surface treatment is awax material.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the sampling element isconfigured to collect at least a portion of the plurality of seedparticles by receiving at least a portion of the seed particles into afeature of the sampling element.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein thesampling element is configured to collect at least a portion of theplurality of seed particles by receiving at least a portion of the seedparticles into a cavity of the sampling element.
 10. The system of claim8, wherein the sampling element is configured to receive at least aportion of the seed particles into one or more passages extendingthrough the sampling element.
 11. The system of claim 8, wherein thesampling element is configured to collect at least a portion of theplurality of seed particles by receiving at least a portion of the seedparticles into one or more grooves of the sampling element.
 12. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the sampling element has a shape selectedfrom the group consisting of: ball-shaped; oval-shaped; andanvil-shaped.
 13. The system of claim 1, wherein the seed samplingdevice is configured to shake the seed sampling chamber and the samplingelement is configured to break the seed into the plurality of seedparticles.
 14. The system of claim 1, further comprising an extractionwell configured for receiving the sampling element and for receiving asolution configured to extract at least one of DNA or proteins from thecollected portion of seed particles.
 15. The system of claim 14, furthercomprising a sampling element transfer device configured to remove thesampling element from the seed sampling chamber.
 16. The system of claim15, wherein the sampling element includes magnetically responsivecontent and the sampling element transfer device includes a removal rodand a deflector plate, and wherein the removal rod is configured toremove the sampling element from the seed sampling chamber using amagnet located proximate an end of the removal rod, and the deflectorplate is configured to release the sampling element into the extractionwell by deflecting the sampling element from the removal rod.
 17. Thesystem of claim 15, wherein the sampling element includes magneticallyresponsive content and the sampling element transfer device includes anelectromagnet, and wherein the electromagnet is configured to remove thesampling element from the seed sampling chamber by operating under anelectric current, and wherein the electromagnet is configured to releasethe sampling element into the extraction well by removing the electriccurrent from the electromagnet.